Fretboard finishing options (one Canary & one 3A Birdseye)

[vikingred]

Receiving two unfinished necks-- one solid Canary, one solid 3A Birdseye Maple.  They are both fretted with gold frets from Warmoth.  The backs will either be plain burnishes or I may consider the BLO/thinner technique.

Questions regarding the fretboards on each neck:

1.  Anything wrong with just leaving them totally unfinished (I know the 10% thing with 3A birdseye, I mean besides that)?

2.  I cringe at the thought of spraying them with lacquer so I think that is out--I hate that draggy/sticky feel--unless someone can show/teach me otherwise?  Is there a brand/type of rattle-can spray on DIY lacquer worthy/safe for doing a fretboard that doesn't leave that horrible sticky feel?  Or that wouldn't take a year to harden?  CRINGE!

3.  What about ..... CLEAR BRIWAX?  Would that be insane?  I have some at the house!  :glasses10:

4.  What about wipe-on Minwax Poly?  Yuck?

5.  What about leaving the fretboards unfinished but oil them up with "Music Nomad MN105 F-ONE Fretboard Oil" or (yikes) "Fret Doctor Fingerboard Oil"? 

6.  What about BLO/thinner application to the fretboard itself?  Can still buff, but no sanding obviously.

Comments, suggestions, opinions welcome.  Thanks.  :icon_thumright:

 

[fdesalvo]

Brother, if you don't mind ambering the look a bit, I'd heartily recommend Tru Oil.  Unfinished boards are fun, but man, maple gets NASTY quick and turns a foul gray color.

Here's my TO'd 3A Maple neck.  Hope you don't mind the pics, but I thought it would be helpful.  I finished to a satin sheen on the fretboard.  Both front and back are lightning quick and do not get sticky at all.  I've never had to touch up these necks, either, and one is going on 5 years old.

The darker one in the background has had a couple years to age the oil finish nicely.  Tru Oil is just amazing.

 

[vikingred]

Dude, that looks mighty cool.  Tru-Oil huh?

 

[stratamania]

+1 for Tru Oil

 

[fdesalvo]

Yep - VERY forgiving finish to apply, finish, and repair if need be.  Ages gracefully and feels amazing.  You can layer it to a deep gloss or keep it light and tight for a smooth powdery matte.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Another True Oil lover here.

I got turned onto it back in the late 80's, as my uncle is a gunsmith, built my 8mm '98 Mauser Rifle stock ala a Monte Carlo Rollover, in AAA Birdseye Maple using nothing but rubbed on True Oil.  Been my main rifle for 25+ years, especially for crawling through the brush, and I've never had to touch it up.  He also used to built the rifles that the NRA auctioned off during the 80's/90's & early 2K's.





I did my Baritone Tele in True Oil, was done in a matter of a few days.  I didn't go for the thicker/buffed gloss look, but rather the more natural/satin feel.
Just enough to keep maple from moving from season to season.

I've never had to adjust the truss rod since it was set up either, so True Oil really does a great job of sealing/choking the maple from interacting with the humidity fluctuations.

 

[fdesalvo]

GORGEOUS rifle!!  HUGE Mauser lover here.

+1 on the truss rod comment.  My TO'd necks with vintage truss rods are super stable.

 

[vikingred]

Ya'll burnish first then TO, or just TO straight to the wood as received from Warmoth?

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

If you're gonna burnish, no need to TO as the wood is already had its pores sealed up.
Check the threads for a proper background context on the science involved in this.

May not be relevant to some, but I opted to TO my BariTele as I live in the Puget Sound area, and we have humidity levels all over the place throughout the year, so having a finish was practical.

Also, when the time came to complete that project, the issue of burnishing had not yet been brought to the forum, so I was unfamiliar with this concept some 4 or 5 years ago.

 

[fdesalvo]

Don't do any fine sanding or else the wood will not absorb the TO deeply.  On my last neck, I thinned the TO with lacquer thinner because I feared that Afra might have some oil content.  I believe this is also a good practice for a first "soak" coat on the drier species, though I have achieved excellent results with uncut oil.

If you decide to embark on the TO journey you should be well forewarned; we can give you some tips to help you avoid several oil finish frustrations such as "tru oil" finger/"knuckle smelt", "lint biscuits", "whisker nipples", "sweat whispers", the dreaded "smudge onion", "print glints", Labrea "gnat traps"and other potential, TO-specific annoyances. 

Other than that, using Tru Oil is a breeze.

 

[vikingred]

Well, I'm seeing conflicting information.  See my recent thread where Tonar says he "polishes with 2000" before starting the BLO treatment.  Now I'm confused.  I've already obtained the BLO and odorless mineral spirits so I was going to go with that rather that Tru-Oil, but do I burnish first then apply BLO/thinner mixture?  Again, conflicting info.  Plus I'm a moron when it comes to obvious things.  :help:

 

[fdesalvo]

Most use tru oil as a penetrating, in-wood finish, and that's where it does its best work.

I believe tonar at gets outstanding results with his method, as well, but true oil is considerably more rugged and reliable as a "hard finish".

 

[stratamania]

I don't think I've used any finer than 600 with Tru oil.

Edit. Heres an overview of how I went about it.

http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=22445.msg335422#msg335422

 

[vikingred]

Don't do any fine sanding or else the wood will not absorb the TO deeply.  On my last neck, I thinned the TO with lacquer thinner because I feared that Afra might have some oil content.  I believe this is also a good practice for a first "soak" coat on the drier species, though I have achieved excellent results with uncut oil.

If you decide to embark on the TO journey you should be well forewarned; we can give you some tips to help you avoid several oil finish frustrations such as "tru oil" finger/"knuckle smelt", "lint biscuits", "whisker nipples", "sweat whispers", the dreaded "smudge onion", "print glints", Labrea "gnat traps"and other potential, TO-specific annoyances. 

Other than that, using Tru Oil is a breeze.

Hah.  Yeah, Imma pass on the TO for now.  Already grabbed BLO and odorless mineral spirits.  Gonna rub that 50/50 mix in with my BARE HANDS until they get hot and spontaneously combust.

 

[fdesalvo]

Lol ol Johnny Flambeaux!  :toothy12:

 

[vikingred]

On the 3A Birdseye, I ended up burnishing the entire neck and headstock (front and back) and applied waterslide decal DIRECTLY onto the burnished wood, shot it with pre-cat satin lacquer and it came out like a dream.  It's with the quilted maple soloist at my local luthier getting the Schaller Hannes bridge installed.  Should be an ass kicking guitar.  Got a Seymour Duncan "Whole Lotta Humbucker" with gold cover.  Maple love.